PRIDE is set to return to Swindon and organisers promise it will even more colourful than before.

A £10,000 grant from the National Lottery along with months of fundraising mean the festival can be staged in Old Town park Town Gardens on August 10.

John Edwards deals with funding and grants for the Wiltshire branch of Pride. He said: “This gives so much excitement knowing that others can see how much this means to us and the community.

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“We, as a committee, are so proud to be part of Swindon and Wiltshire Pride and it could not happen without the huge levels of support from the community and the National Lottery, and I cannot wait for the event this year.”

A host of activities is being planned for the day, starting with a parade that will make its way through Old Town.

There will also be a community stage showcasing local talent, a family zone, a shopping zone, and a craft zone which is brand new for this year.

Kristian Wheeler, chairman of the group, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be bringing this event back to the town.

“So many people were gutted about it being cancelled last year but now we can give them a date to put in their calendar.”

Kristian explained: “We used our year off to work more closely with the community and undertook several projects with the support of local businesses, including the installation of Rainbow Walk at The Wyvern Theatre.

“An important part of our role as a committee is preventing social isolation. We do this by bringing the community together at our monthly fundraisers as well as our main Pride event, this is an extremely important part of what we do.”

Last year’s LGBTQ+ festival, billed as the largest free community event in the south west and first staged in the town 11 years ago, was cancelled after a series of setbacks, including the loss of the group’s main venue for hosting fundraising events and a shortage of volunteers.

At the time organisers said they would put all their efforts into staging a festival in 2019 and they ran their first fundraiser within weeks.

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More events are planned in the run up to the big day. New Year’s Eve Revisited is being staged at The Regent on January 26, featuring DJ Roly and Lady B from Oxford.

Then it is Back to School at Level III on February 16 for a party to raise more money.

Organisers are still looking for local organisations and businesses to help by offering sponsorship.

Volunteers are needed to help run events, performers and bands are wanted to provide the entertainment and craft stall holders are also sought.